Three terrorists of pro-Pakistan Jeish-e-Mohmmad were killed and 12 security personnel, including three officers, injured Thursday in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, a day after they fired on a police party here and escaped, officials said.

Six CRPF personnel, including the deputy commandant and the assistant commandant, five cops, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohan Lal, and an Armyman were injured, they said, adding that they were admitted to the Narayana hospital in Katra. (ANI)

Three terrorists of pro-Pakistan Jeish-e-Mohmmad were killed and 12 security personnel, including three officers, injured Thursday in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, a day after they fired on a police party here and escaped, officials said. Police said the militants of Pakistani origin had crossed the International Border (IB) in Tarnah nallah and reached Kashmir from the Dayalachak area of Kathua district in a truck. The encounter broke out after security forces, comprising CRPF, police and Army personnel, during a cordon and search operation, zeroed in on a location near a house in the district’s Kakriyal area, and surrounded the terrorists Thursday afternoon, they said. Drones and choppers were used in the operation launched on Wednesday to track the militants, all of whom were aged between 18 and 22, they said. Twelve security personnel were injured in the operation, police said.

Six CRPF personnel, including the deputy commandant and the assistant commandant, five cops, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohan Lal, and an Armyman were injured, they said, adding that they were admitted to the Narayana hospital in Katra. “On 12.09.2018 at about 0805 hours, during checking by flying squad of police at Domail on highway, police party signalled a truck bearing No. JK03-1476, which was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar to stop. In the meantime, three terrorists who were on board the said truck opened fire (sic),” a police statement issued Thursday said.

Earlier, SSP (Jammu) Vivek Gupta said the cordon and search operation to track down the terrorists was launched in the Jhajjar-Kotli forest belt in Jammu and Reasi district after the militants fired on the security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway Wednesday. The militants had fled into the forest belt of which Kakrayal is a part. One person was injured in the firing. The truck was seized, and its driver and helper were arrested, police said, adding that one AK-56 rifle, loaded magazines, one Chinese pistol and other incriminating material were recovered from the site. The operation was launched in the villages near Katra, they said, adding that the security components of the Vaishnodevi shrine were also alerted.

A lookout notice was issued through social and mass media, they said. Three senior superintendents of police (SSPs) of Reasi, Udhampur, Jammu, additional SP of Katra and the SDPO of Nagrota rushed to the spot after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in Jhajjar-Kotli, police said. The vast area was kept under tight cordon during the night and with day break, contact was established after the terrorists were tracked at Kakrayal, they said.

“The exchange of fire continued till 5 pm this evening. In this encounter, all the three terrorists were neutralised. SDPO Nagrota, two officers of CRPF and some police and security force men were injured,” a police spokesperson said. “It seems to be a case of fresh infiltration of yesterday morning from Pakistan most likely from Hiranagar belt of International Border. These terrorists had come from Pakistan,” he said. Preliminary investigation suggests that the terrorists belonged to the JeM. Bodies of all three have been found, he said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

Speaking to reporters, IGP (Jammu) S D Singh Jamwal said two people transported the militants from Dayalachak in a truck. The duo had been engaged in carrying out such acts in the past, and police were investigating their contacts in Jammu, the IG said. During the operation, security agencies were informed by a villager that the militants had taken food and clothes and left his house on Wednesday night, a senior police official said.

Speaking to reporters, the villager said, “They came to my house at 8 pm and demanded clothes to change from their(combat) dress. They demanded food. They ate biscuits and drank water and left around 9.10 pm.” The terrorists also demanded a vehicle, but “we told them, we do not have one,” the villager said, adding that they were asked to switch-off their mobile phones. The official said the family immediately informed police after the terrorists left. The CRPF, the police and the army along with personnel from other security agencies are combing the area, he said.

The official said areas and check posts along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway are on alert. More checkpoints have been created and vehicles are being searched and passengers frisked, he said. “The Jhajjar-Kotli forest belt and adjoining areas have been put under a massive cordon,” the official said. Traffic movement on the highway, between Nagrota and Jhajjar-Kotli, has been suspended and schools in the area have been closed for the day.